The second round of the NBA playoffs is underway, and underdogs won outright in all three of the Game 1 matchups we've seen so far.
Those results weigh heavily on my mind as I make my NBA picks for the two games tonight.
Here is my best NBA playoff parlay for the NBA playoff games on May 6, as I look into all the side and totals markets.
Today's best NBA Playoff parlay: May 6
Pacers +7.5
Cavaliers moneyline — 1H
Warriors +6.5
Pick #1: Pacers +7.5
The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Showdown. The Pacers won outright as 8.5-point underdogs in Game 1, pulling away for a 121-112 victory.
The Pacers shot 53% from deep in that contest, and while that's clearly unsustainable long-term, they won't need to be that red-hot to cover a similar spread again.
The Cavs desperately need point guard Darius Garland to return after a three-game absence due to a lingering toe injury. While it seemed precautionary when he was sitting out against an overmatched Heat squad in the first round, there's now significant concern within the organization.
Garland is listed as questionable for tonight, along with All-Star forward Evan Mobley (ankle) and De'Andre Hunter (thumb). Even if those guys tough it out and play, they could be less than 100%, which will make it tough for the Cavs to run away with things.
Especially against a high-powered Indiana attack that has excellent ball movement and multiple scoring options to keep up with the Cleveland's top-rated offense.
Pick #2: Cavaliers 1H ML
While I'm betting on Indiana to cover the full game spread, expect Cleveland to lead at the half.
The Cavaliers have the second-best average first half scoring margin in the NBA (+7.0 ppg) during the regular season and playoffs with that number ticking up to +9.0 ppg at home. Meanwhile, the Pacers have a 1H scoring margin of -1.6 ppg on the road which ranks 18th in the league and is easily the worst among all teams remaining in the playoffs.
The Cavs have cashed the 1H moneyline in 37 of their last 44 games at home, while the Pacers have hit the 1H moneyline in 19 of their last 41. Expect Cleveland to come out fired up after an upset loss and get out to an early lead.
Backing the Pacers at +7.5 on the full game spread while betting the Cavs 1H moneyline creates a highly profitable payout on this parlay.
Pick #3: Warriors +6.5
The series between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves tips off with Game 1 tonight. All the other lower seeds showed they wouldn't be pushovers in their Game 1 clashes and it's a bit surprising to see the Warriors catching 6.5 points here.
The Dubs came into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed but were actually favored to win their first-round matchup against the No. 2-seed Rockets.
They did that in seven games and have looked like a contender since trading for Jimmy Butler in February. Golden State finished the regular season on a 23-8 run with the third-best net rating (+9.1) in the NBA after acquiring Butler.
Butler impacts the game in so many ways with his scoring, defense, ball-handling, rebounding, and overall competitiveness. He's also opened things up for Stephen Curry, who is still one of best shot-makers in the world.
The T-Wolves also have a great squad, but this series won't be easy for them. Sure, they'll again have a significant height advantage after exploiting the Lakers' lack of size down low in Round 1. However, the Warriors are better defensively than the Lakers, and at least they have serviceable bigs.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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